An Hour's Contemplation
by ShivaVixen
Summary: Just a look at what went through Jed's mind when he was in the hourglass . . . and the reason he called Larry to help. One-shot


**I am well aware that there are already several fics about Jed and the hourglass ordeal, but I wanted to do my spin on it. I don't have anything to do with the Night at the Museum movies, or the characters. I do have both movies on dvd, though. (Also, my spell check's been disabled and so there might be spelling mistakes that I didn't get while editing.)**

**An Hour's Contemplation**

After being shoved rudely into the birdcage and threatened into temporary silence (like any threat would actually keep him quiet for long), Jedediah could only hope that Octavius got Gigantor some help.

He also got a good look at how large the place was. Pushing back the fear and worry that suddenly sprang up, he briefly regretted bringing Larry into this. It was one thing when the guys were just the Egyptians, now there were the black and white giants and weird, metal ones. And all of them had weapons that were just as dangerous to him as they were to Larry.

Even though Larry had been absent for more and more time, Jed couldn't stay mad at his friend, heck, the big guy was family, and he needed them just as much as they needed him.

If the eyes were windows to the soul, Larry had been losing bits and pieces if his. Every time he came back for a bit, Larry's eyes weren't the same bright and crafty eyes that had helped him keep peace in the museum. They were duller, as if the life was being sucked out of him. In the beginning, before the times between became longer and longer, he could almost recharge, being with them. Then Jed noticed that the light didn't come back into his eyes after awhile, and the absences got longer.

He was glad to see Larry, even though they were being shipped out, but he was still kind of ticked that Larry hadn't been around for so long. Even through the anger, he could see something flicker in his friend's eyes, something that was either fighting or dying or some version of both, and Jed wished that there was a way to fix his friend. He was mad at Larry for being gone, but even madder that his friend was getting run down. He thought a quick adventure with them would get some of the old Larry back, maybe even fix him.

Now though, the stakes were a lot higher, and he was worried that his friends weren't going to make it. Although that particular thought went out the window for a minute when he actually met Kahmunrah face to face. The guy had a lisp for crying out loud.

"Two words come to mind when I hear you talk, 'delusional' and 'weirdo'. And if I had to pick a third, goofy, just goofy." Hanging on to the bar, and just being himself would work a lot better if he wasn't in a cage. Well, it would work better than that if he was taller, but he'd take what he could get. Case in point, proven by Kamunrah's next words.

"It's even cute when you try to threaten me."

"Cute?!" His hearing must've gone, actually, it kinda went with his temper. "Now hold on there, you have a right to keep me as your captive, torture me, but don't call me cute! I ain't cute!" He really hated the guy's smile. _I can see why Ahkmenrah never talked much about the guy, he's an embarrassment to Egyptians._

The sound of a door slamming and chain mail pulled him out of his thoughts.

"We found him." As heartless as it sounded, he kind of hoped it was Octavius; but as he turned, and saw who it was, a part of him just bottomed out.

"Gigantor, oh no . . ." He highly doubted that the tablet would bring Larry back to life if he got speared to death. But in the birdcage, there was absolutely nothing he could do. He couldn't help himself, how could he help Larry out? He kept quiet as Kahmunrah took the tablet and typed in a combination. He was really relieved when it didn't open. Jed sure didn't want to see the other side, at least not this soon. Jed grinned as Larry reminded Kahmunrah about his time limit.

_Oh yeah, you suckers don't have a chance!_ The momentary, almost victory turned to ash very quickly.

"Oh, Really? Well, he doesn't." As Kahmunrah turned his, and everyone else's, attention to the birdcage, Jedediah could only think one thing.

_Oh, hell._ He got a good look at Larry's face, and winced at the expression. The deadness was almost gone, but there was clearly not enough for him to survive the night without something having to give.

"Open the cage."

"Hey! Don't you dare man-handle me!" Trying to get as far away from the deranged pharoh's grip, he kind of forgot about Larry for a minute.

"Aww, look, he's having a tiny tantrum . . . I won't hurt you . . ." Jed highly doubted that, but he was really ticked off, so he didn't comment about that. "Oops I lied."

Still trying to give the weirdo pharaoh a piece of his mind, even after being locked in a glass . . . thing . . . Jed's train of thought and yelling was cut off as suddenly his world spun, and he was on wood . . . with sand pouring down. _It's an hourglass._

"I wouldn't say he has very long at all, Mr. Daley . . . You were the guardian of the tablet, You know about it, and obviously you're much more clever than us." Ignored by the two men, Jedediah kept his focus on Larry, something akin to panic was starting to work it's way in to his friend's face and eyes.

"Hey, You got this Pardner." Ignoring the sand on his head, he saw something click in Larry's eyes.

"Shoo." The metal guys moved away, and Jed called out one last time.

"YOU'VE GOT THIS!!!" Then Larry had vanished through a corner, and Jed bowed his head. Kahmunrah casually put him on a table, or something, and began to continue looking at his loot. For a little while, Jed sat out of the way of the sand, arms on his knees and his head down. He ignored the group of evil men, he just tried to focus on something else. _Yeah, how about the fact that Larry's got some spark back, even though I might be dead before he ever regains it completely. This whole thing is so not going the way I expected it to, after we found out Dexter had the tablet. Heck, I didn't think much about this being the largest museum in the world. I just thought Larry would come, show up the jerk attacking us, and we'd all get home again, Larry finally getting some life back into him. Now . . . The others are locked in a container downstairs, probably waiting for Larry or that harebrained general to help, I'm stuck in an Hour glass, which is also probably counting down how long the others have, and Octavius . . . _Here a spark of hope flared. _Octavius is still out there, those yahoos have forgotten about him! He can get help, We might be alright yet . . . Larry'll pull through like he use to, and everything we'll be back to normal . . . we just got to make it through this hour! _The sand rising, he stood and tried to keep on top of it. But that took so much effort, and the sand was practically quicksand, sucking him back down. Trying to conserve energy, he reluctantly let the sand swallow him. The others would come through, he knew it.

The sand was about waist high, _So that's what, twenty minutes? I don't think I have a full hour, Don't think Like that! Larry'll pull through, and so will Octavius, think positive Jedediah, those two won't leave you to die._ When he pulled back out of his thoughts, it was to watch the nutcase find a boxing robe. _I think I should be insulted that this guy is putting us through hell. Seriously, it's no wonder Ahkmenrah got the throne, this guy's coal bed sure isn't filled to the top. _

"Kahmunrah!"

"Why, he's not trying to figure the tablet out at all . . . Kill him and bring that tablet to me!"

Jed hoped he wasn't hearing the truth . . . after all, the guy thought Jed was cute and clearly didn't realize how much of an idiot he was. _Who are you trying to kid, Jedediah, Larry's all but dead inside, he can't fight like that . . . He hasn't even been around the museum in months! He doesn't care anymore!_ Some traitorous part of him whispered.

_I can't accept that! I know I saw that spark come back, Larry's still alive in there, he's not gone yet . . . That time spent as a family couldn't have been for nothing. Larry'll be back, he's just trying to figure the combination. Fresh air helps people think. _Jed squashed it, hoping and praying that he wouldn't lose his friend. _You got this Gigantor, I know you do . . . you've never given up when the chips were down, you always tried to keep swinging. You've got this, I know you do, buddy._

"Bet you didn't expect your friend to abandon you." Kamunrah apparently remembered he existed.

"Oh, he'll be here." Jed had absolute faith in that.

"You know I'd save my breath if I were you . . . you don't have many left." Jed was glad that his back was to the pharaoh. He could hide the panic. The sand was still rising and it was up to his chest now, Over a half hour. _Gigantor, hurry!!_ The panic, and the silence, only lasted for a few minutes.

Kahmunrah picked up the hourglass, as the other evil men took off to hunt down Larry, and Jed settled back into his annoying Cowboy self, even as the sand continue to pour. It was getting harder to breathe, but he couldn't give up yet. The others weren't back.

"What's that sound?" Jed was about to say 'It's your hope choking to death', when something crashed through the window. Kahmunrah, for all the delusional weirdo he was, had good reflexes, and managed to duck without dropping him. Jed watched in shock as Larry rolled from the old plane as it, and the pilot, crashed into a display.

Truthfully, the only thing he got out of the beginning of the argument, was the part where Larry said "I got the combination." _Yee-haw! I knew he wouldn't quit! I knew it! _What elated him even more was a smoldering fire that was back in Larry's eyes. The spark was coming back. Though he was struggling not to add his two cents in when the two grown men kept arguing. _I don't need the Weirdo to decide to just kill me, out of annoyance . . . the fact I'm alive is good for right now._

Maybe it was because of his sudden focus on the fact he wasn't breathing well, but he missed the point when Kahmunrah tossed the hourglass. All he was aware of was sand suddenly swirling about him and threatening to drown him. _Can you drown in sand?_ He came to a stop, and the sand suddenly seemed to be draining away- correction, the sand **was **draining away. Larry had caught him so he was no longer drowning in sand.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, thanks." Dusting his arms off, he glanced to see what was happening. If he needed proof that Kahmunrah was psychotic, the glint in that man's eye definitely proved it.

"I'm sorry, Jed." Larry's voice brought him back to the night guard.

"You did your best, Gigantor, dangumbit, we were so close too." Jed looked up at his friend.

"No, I mean, I'm sorry I wasn't at the museum, these past few years . . . None of this would have happened." Jed saw the genuine remorse in Larry's eyes.

"You got it all wrong. I didn't call you cause we needed you." Now there was confusion and Hurt. "Sure we were in a bit of a pickle, but it wouldn't have been the first time I had to wrassle myself out of a ruck sack . . . No, I called you cause you needed us. That fancy suit you've been wearing these past few years, it's a _hanging suit_. All gussy-up but dead inside. And that's not you." Larry's eyes flickered to check on the gates progress. "I'll tell you something else, this night's not over yet . . . this midnight cowboy's got some fight in him yet . . . something tells me you do too." That's when he saw it, the almost visible light that came back on in his friend's eyes. Larry was back.

Interupting the 'Midnight Cowboy's' thoughts this time was the gate opening. Gigantor had him mostly facing away, but all he could think of was that if that was the other side, he didn't want to go there. He especially wished he was bigger, or at least, out of the hourglass, when the birdmen surrounded Larry and him. If he was taller, he could have been back to back with Larry, ready to fight. Instead of having Larry hold the stupid hourglass tighter, trying to protect Jed.

_Yeah, cause this way I'll probably see him die first. Okay, not helping!_

Octavius's rescue made him wonder if he had been oxygen deprived at some point. His best friend was riding a squirrel, for crying out loud! His grin came back as the large statue came through the already broken window.

_When I said some 'big' help, I didn't mean that big you crazy roman!_ But it did the trick, the birdmen went running. Then the real battle started.

* * *

"Okay, when I said get some big help, I didn't mean that big!" Jed looked at his friend as the battle ended. "That was bigger than Rexy!"

"Best I could do." Octavius took back his sword. "Something wrong?" He'd noticed Jed's focus on the much larger people.

"He's back. Gigantor's really back." Jed grinned. "See, he's not dead and hollow anymore!"

"Yes . . . and tomorrow he'll be back in New York with the tablet and we'll be here." Octavius ignored Jed's hurt look. "We got him back, but do you really think he'll stay this way, if we're not there?"

"I know." Jed's shoulders slumped.

"Okay, I need to get you guys back to New York." The two miniatures looked at each other.

"Hold up there Gigantor! In case you've forgotten, they don't want us there!" Larry just looked at them.

"But I _do._" Jed grinned, and looked at Octavius. Larry was a hundred percent back.

_Knew you'd come back to us, Gigantor, I knew you weren't dead yet._

_I knew it._

**Well, how was that? Please leave a review, even if it's just one word like 'good'. Seriously, I don't mind . . . **


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